SP to oppose UPCOC Bill tooth and nail: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav today said his party would go hammer and tongs against the "draconian" Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crimes Bill in the assembly and on the streets, claiming the legislation was aimed at threatening the opposition.
From the intentions of the government, he said, it does not appear that the people will get justice after the UPCOC Bill is passed.
"It has been brought to threaten the apposition. We will protest against it from the legislature to the streets," the former chief minister told reporters here.
The UPCOC Bill, 2017, drafted on the lines of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was passed by the UP Assembly yesterday amid opposition walkout.

"We have majority in the Legislative Council," he said, when asked about what his party would to do prevent the passage of the bill.
In the 100-member Council, while the ruling BJP has just 13 members, the Samajwadi Party has 61 members, the BSP nine, Congress two, RLD one and 'others' 12. Two seats are vacant.

When asked about the state government's decision to withdraw 20,000 political cases, he said cases with serious charges were lodged against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy also.
"Will the CM sign the file pertaining to withdrawal of cases against the deputy CM?" he asked.

Reacting to the SP chief's comments, cabinet minister and government spokesman Sidharth Nath Singh said, "Akhilesh Yadav should say why he is afraid of the UPCOCA...He should know that court orders have come on cases pending against the CM."
"The cases lodged out of political vendetta will be withdrawn. This is for everyone irrespective of their party affiliations," he said.